What Happens When Windows 7 Ends Up 2 Years Delayed?

I have previously written — (
Steve Ballmer himself Confirms that Windows 7 is still Vista in its Core) that the release of Windows 7 should have enterprises think about skipping Windows Vista. In an excerpt:

With this strategy, I think enterprises who have not yet moved into Vista may finally decide to wait for Windows 7 unless Microsoft offer some incentives on pricing upgrades from Vista to 7.

One factor I have failed to consider is the timely shipment of Windows 7. What if Windows 7 finally ships on 2011 and takes another year or so before it becomes stable?

Steve Ballmer hinted that the base code of Windows 7 is Windows Vista and should be a lot better. Nonetheless, this does not guarantee the stability of Windows 7 right after release and enterprise organizations skipping Windows Vista would be stuck with a ten year (++) old operating system. A lot of businesses don’t see any problem with Windows XP right now; but it is possible that vendors (gadgets, softwares, etc) would no longer built software tested on the old operating system and organizations are slowly setting themselves up for disaster.

I would suggest that organizations should seriously consider deploying Windows Vista. It is understandable that they have put Vista in the back burner for a while especially with all the instability news surrounding it. Today, it makes sense to consider the deployment of Vista and enjoy its’ productivity & security benefits.